Galactic Federation of Allied Systems
The Galactic Federation of Allied Systems, commonly referred to as the Federation, was the democratic governing body of the during the Great Galactic Revival. It was centered at the long reigning seat of the galaxy, the Citadel. The Galactic Council—who represented the numerous civilizations in the galaxy— governed the Federation under the leadership of an elected High Council. Prior to its existence, the galaxy was controlled by the Citadel Council, until 2209 CE, when due to the numerous amounts of colonies and worlds claiming independence, and a focus shifting to interspecies unity, the galactic community was reformed. This provided a much more stable and fair government for the ever growing galaxy. The Galactic Federation was a Representative Democratic Government, consisting of various alliances, planets, races, and colonies from across the Milky Way. It was crafted by Ambassador Raul Mouriho of , and Councilor Elessia Aeso, and after receiving an enormous amount of support, came to be the official government in 2210 CE. The central government consisted of three parts: legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The first branch, otherwise known as the Galactic Council is a body of elected councilors from planets and colonies across the galaxy, along with their cabinet of ambassadors, and other politicians. The main duty of this branch is to debate issues and disputes, varying from planetary to a galactic scale, the council represents the interest of their people. The High Council, is the executive branch of the Federation —elected by the Federation as a whole— the High Council consisted of five members, and the High Council had final words on debates in the Galactic Council, as well as control over the military. The final branch is the Citadel Court, reviewing and interpreting laws. The transition into the Federation was relatively easy, with little resistance among the Council space. Though still the dominate political force in the galaxy, not ever society aligned themselves with the Federation, there was still opposition. Over time the opposition gained support as the Federation attempted to spread it's influence across the Milky Way. Several conflicts erupted, especially between the Federation and new space-faring war like species. The Federation later led the way in one of the most infamous conflicts in galactic history, the Kinaro Rebellions, which led to the near decimation of the Kinaro people. After the conflict the Federation, under much scrutiny limited its expansion and involvement in military activities. This included the the Exodus War, between the Systems Alliance and the Exodus Dominion, weakening the alliance between the Systems Alliance and the Federation. The Federation continues to be the central government of the galaxy, though it's effectiveness has decreased in recent years due to political corruption and infighting. History Formation The Galactic Federation was created after the ratification of the Council Reformation Act. Prior to the act, their was an uproar in the galactic community over the representation of their planets. Since the Reaper War had ended, many colonies had developed and become quite sophisticated, declaring independence and becoming sovereign nations. However, in the Council, these governments were overlooked due to the representatives that had been elected to the Council, were primarily only looking out for their own planets. One of the Council members, Elessia Aeso, and Ambassador Raul Mourinho of began a push for a reformation of the galactic government. This movement gained an unexpected amount of support from across the galaxy, and in 2209 CE, the reformation began. Over the next year, elections were held on every planet associated with the Citadel, to elect a council member to represent them in the new Galactic Council. Early in 2210, the new Council held a vote to decide who would form the executive branch of the government, the High Council. To no one's surprise, Aeso, and Mourinho were among the five elected, along with Urdnot Gort of , Councilor Savos of , and replacing Turian Councilor Sparatus, Councilman Quentius of the Turian Hierarchy. After the reformation, the Federation began to reorganize their trade routes, alliances, and began accepting new nations to the council. The military was revised as well. With the ratification of the Galactic Forces Assignment Act, every nation was required to donate a portion of troops to form the Federation Military. The organization consisted of several forces, but the bulk of the military was made up by and Turian soldiers. By 2220, had amassed a force equivalent to the . The Spectres were altered as well. Following Shepard's heroics, the Spectres were no longer looked at as feared yet glorified mercenaries of the Council, but as heroes. With the formation of the Federation, the Galactic Council sought to change the Spectres, to represent this new image of the soldiers. Spectres were no longer selected for their willingness to use extreme methods to complete their orders, but instead, they chose those who sough to do good for the galaxy, true heroes. With the reformation of the Spectres came a new allegiance, they no longer served the Council, but instead, had their own organized leadership that operated for the common good of the galaxy. Early Expansion and Conflicts Though the idea of expansion was split among the leaders of the federation, Mourinho pushed for a rapid growth, and over the next decade, Republic of Lusia, Principle Republic of Asteria, Union of Cyone, Thunawanuro Union, the Alliance controlled Belan, Republic of Benning, Feros Union, and over a dozen other planetary governments joined the Federation, the total number of governments with seats on the Galactic Council had reached 52. In 2223 CE, the Federation expansion had reached borders of the and even began reaching out into the fringes of the . However, their ideas of development didn't suite well with the outlaw organizations of the Terminus Systems and the war torn nations of the Traverse, it wasn't long before numerous conflicts began to erupt. The first major conflict was the Verush Rebellions, after Erszbat joined the Federation and pushed for a modernized Batarian unified state. Rebellions began rising across the traverse after this, Kar'Shan, and Adek included, this time period became known as the Batarian Insurrections. Ultimately, the Federation couldn't sustain military operations in the Traverse and ceased all operations in 2231 CE. Infighting between Batarian clans and terrorist groups has continued over the decades. Since the turn of the century other species began to develop FTL capabilities, and with that a mixed views of expansion were in the Federation. However, they pressed on attempting to sway these new species into joining the Federation. There were those that accepted, such as the Nerasians and the Si'lan along with others, but there were those that resisted. The most notably, who attempted and expanse of their own, colliding with Alliance, Federation, and Turian forces, resulting in numerous skirmishes. This became slowed by infighting between the Yahg. The Kinaro Rebellions In 2228 CE the Galactic Federation opened talks with the human-like Kinaro on Serria, a tundra terrestrial world. The Kinaro's unified government consisted of the dominant tribes of the palladium rich planet. The GFAS was assertive in their attempts to persuade Kinaro into joining the Federation, but they weren't accustomed to the culture of the Kinaro, offending them and putting on an imperialist image. The government continued to press on in their attempts, and the Kinaro government, despite the views of the Kinaro people allowed the Federation mining corporations on the planet to draw the palladium. The outrage began across Serria and divides began among the tribes. In 2229 the first shot of what would become known as the Kinaro Rebellion was fired during a riot, at the end of the day 32 Kinaro had been killed by Federation soldiers. Following the riots, and pressure from the growing unrest in the Kinaro community, Kinaro's tribes declared war on the Federation, once again uniting. They forcefully expelled the small garrisons of Federation soldiers already on Serria. This was only the beginning, as the Federation along with the Systems Alliance launched a full scale invasion of the planet. The initial phase of the war only lasted several months, as the Federation forces wiped out the Kinaro fleet and military, along with dissolving the government. The war didn't end there, it continued, the Kinaro, though their military was effectively destroyed took up arms against the Federation. The Kinaro using the mountains and weather of their snowy planet formed an effective resistance against the military, and the Federation, unprepared for the cold and spirit in the Kinaro fighters became entrenched in a bloody conflict. The rebellions lasted 6 more years, over three million Federation lives were lost and an estimated two-hundred million Kinaro. The Federation was losing funds, manpower, and resources in a war that seemed like it had no end in sight. In 2235 CE, the Federation Council passed Order 314, the eradication of Kinaro resistance at any means necessary. This was overseen by Grand Admiral Krul, who authorized the use of planetary bombardment and chemical warfare on civilian inhabited locations, along with the deployment of the Spectres. The end results were disastrous as the Kinaro continued to fight, and it wasn't until over two thirds of the Kinaro population had been killed. The Kinaro tribes surrender in late 2235, broken and torn. The day became known as The Day of Kathan, or Day of Sorrow. The handling of the Kinaro Rebellions drew mass criticism and heat from a galaxy that was unaware of the war until it's end made galactic news networks. The Federation was accused of leading a war only in an attempt to secure the resources of Serria, worst of all it resulted in the near genocide of an entire race. The crisis forced dozens of Councilors from office, along with numerous military personnel and the people of the Federation began to call for a halt to the government's expansion. Before the turn of the new year, the Federation officially passed a Neutrality Initiative and the Benning Accords were signed, ending the period of expansion after over 20 years. The Accords also reestablished the lines of power, taking away privileges from the High Council itself and shifting more into the Galactic Council. Neutrality and a New Era Government and Politics The Federation maintained a very similar structure to the previous Citadel Council, but on a much larger and expanded scale. It was designed to provide equal, mutual, and economical alliances to the civilizations rising across the galaxy, as being represented simply by your race had become obsolete. The unification of of the galaxy during the Reaper War gave way to the rise of many independent nations, consisting of a multitude of species making up the bulk of these populations. It became ineffective to simply govern a colony by what a specific species needed. The turn of the century also saw the rise of many new space-faring species, most of which sought to join this galactic union. In recent years, the effectiveness of the Federation has been slowed, due to the massive size of the galactic council and the infighting within the Federation. Corruption has also become an issue, though it is actively fought, and passionately by many members of the Council. A power shift between political bodies in the Council has become apparent, and tensions seem to constantly peak. Within the government, much of the bureaucracy was handled by the General Ministry. Within this body were the Ministries of State, Intelligence, Commerce, Defense, Education, Finance, Licenses and Permits, Public Information, Science, Security and Intelligence, Internal Security, and Science and Education. Legislative Branch Each member state (nation, system government, species) provided a representative (councilor) to the central legislative (Galactic Council). The councilors served as the ambassadors of independent nations, whether it was home worlds, or newly formed nations, and member worlds were able to maintain their government and society in accordance with local beliefs, customs, and traditions. There was a wide variety of different local governments along the political spectrum: from monarchies to republics to hive-like communes. In some communities, Councilors were elected by the people, and others, they were chosen by government officials. As the Federation expanded, they reached out into previously unaffiliated areas of the galaxy, and this period became known as the expansion era. The Federation Galactic Council was headquartered in the remodeled Citadel Tower. Much of the tower's peak had been removed and redesigned to create a much larger presentation area for the massive council. It consisted of dozens of platforms centered around the podium of the executive branch, the High Council. These platforms represented individual worlds, as well as corporations and guilds. Each member had the ability to vote in the Council and introduce legislation. Each member received one vote individually—procedural and substantive. The Council was in turn divided into individual committees, each specializing in specific fields of government administration, and which were responsible for creating legislation to be reviewed by the full assembly. Although legislation passed by the Council was binding to all member worlds and associations, most of the everyday legislation followed by citizens of the Federation was created at the planetary or regional level. Therefore, the main functions of the Council were to mediate disputes between members, provide for the common defense, and regulate inter-system trade. Executive Branch The Galactic Council elected the members who would make up the High Council, the executive branch of the Federation. They served as the Federation's head of government(and, by default, head of state), and the chief diplomats of the galaxy. As with the original Citadel Council, the High Council possessed a great amount of power, but these powers were limited by the Elleken Reforms, following the expansion era and specifically the Kinaro Rebellions. Despite this, the High Council was still considered to be the most prestigious position in the Federation. The High Councilors were elected every decade, and could serve two possible terms in that position. Though they have no official power over the independent governments of other species, the High Council's decisions carry great weight throughout the galaxy. Judicial Branch The Citadel Court was the highest court of law in the Federation of Allied Systems, and it formed the judicial brance of the union. It was headquarted in the Federation Galactic Courts of Justice building on the Citadel. The court consisted of 10 justices, one of them was the Chief Justice who headed both the Court and the judicial branch. Though not intended, the High Council could influence appointments in the Citadel Court. In addition to serving as a "court of last resort" and as a determiner of constitutional legality, the Citadel Court also tried cases involving the highest politicians and most noteworthy people in the Federation. However, at least some cases (including the trial of councilors for treason) were handled by the Galactic Council. Economy The economy of the Federation was dictated by regulatory powers, influence of the credit system, and authorization of relevant bodies. At the heart of the Federation economy was planetary trade. Though interplanetary trade supported local economies, the high levels of economic interaction and the massive scale of exchange required for an advanced society could only be funded by interplanetary exports. Some planets maintained shipping fleets, such as the Elcor worlds, but many required on freight corporations for this transport along with the use of the Mass Effect Relays. Though many worlds used their own currencies for interplanetary trade, the Federation's credit, adopted from the Citadel Council before, was the most wide-spread form of currency in the galaxy. Due to the large membership of the Federation, the Credit was accepted in nearly every world, except for the most backwater planets. All working beings were required to pay income tax as well. Society and Culture Being a melding pot of many different species and cultures, the Federation society was extremely diverse, in fact it was built around diversity, and often promoted it. Member planets faced little restrictions in regards to their cultures, and the diversity ranged from scientific societies to religious minded ones. Though these cultures sometimes clashed, acceptance was preached in a large scale initiative to eliminate discrimination. Dominant cultural references can still be easily identified. New nations have less representation of their cultures compared to others, such as the humans and turians. By far, the most noticeable cultural references in the federation are that of the Asari, and Salarians, the founding members of the Citadel Council and the galactic government as a whole. However, trends in Federation society catch on fast, and those features of the newer races can often take the Citadel by storm at times. Military The early days of the Federation were mostly peaceful ones, the expansion era was marked by the stunning unification of the galaxy, though there was conflict from time to time. However, with the addition of each new nation and species added to the galactic community, the Federation's military grew. Each member state had to provide a small amount of personnel depending on their total population. Though it paled in comparison to the Systems Alliance Navy, and the Turian Hierarchy forces, the Federation's military forces were large in number, and much like the Alliance were quick to deploy, adaptable, and tactical. They were primarily a peacekeeping force, deployed in areas like what was once known as Batarian space. Humans, Turians, and Asari made up the bulk of the Federation forces. By far, the biggest military asset the Federation possessed was that of the Spectres, the elite forces of the High Council, serving as the will and might of the Federation. The High Council's elite, invested with the Council's authority, Spectres are vital to keeping the peace across Federation space. They are individuals who act either on the Council's orders or on their own initiative, to preserve galactic stability. Sometimes, in situations where the Council cannot be seen to act officially, they will send a Spectre instead. Spectres have absolute freedom under the law and answer only to the High Council. All details on their activities classified. The Spectres, after the work of Commander Shepard, have been kept to a high morale standard, rather than the "by any means necessary" attitude many used to carry before the Federation. This has had some question the effectiveness of the Spectres in the modern era however, worrying that their ideals might cause them to falter. Nonetheless, they still have served as the most effective and feared agents in the galaxy. Astrography The Galactic Federation of Allied Systems encompassed over half of the galaxy in terms of overall size, originating in the civilized core of the galaxy, what was known as Inner Council Space. It stretched through Outer Council Space and the Systems Alliance Space, and into parts of the Attican Traverse and even somewhat into the Terminus Systems. It was believed however, that the Federation possessed little power in these outlying backwater colonies and nations. The capital, as it was with the Citadel Council, remained the Citadel; the massive ancient station considered to be the cultural and economical center of the galaxy, despite being located outside of the galactic core itself. The Citadel could be moved as well, but often stayed in the Widow System of the Serpent Nebula. The major core worlds of the Federation were considered to be Thessia, Earth, Sur'Kesh, and Palaven, representing the major players of the previous government, humanity, the asari, turians, and salarians. Though in recent decades, the krogan have gained quite a voice in the Federation. Members *Union of Cyone *Republic of Lusia *Correlact Corporation *Republic of Thessia *Republic States of Hyetiana *Principle Republic of Asteria *Haven of Lesuss *United Corporations of Nevos *City States of Niacal *The Sanves Commonwealth *Dekuuna Tribes *Governments of Ekuna *Sangel Exports Federation *Thunawanuro Union *Illuminated Primacy *Earth and the Systems Alliance *United Ameterasu Alliance *Republic of Bekenstein *Republic of Benning *Free Alliance of Eden Prime *Elysium Republic *Feros Union *Joab Republic *Peoples Union of Mindoir *Shanxi Royal Alliance *Tiptree Free State *Trident Confederacy *Nations of Watson *United Order of Yandoa *Salarian Federation *Erinle Domain *Mannovai Republics *Turian Hierarchy *Digeris Sovereignty *Kingdom of Oma Ker *Invictus *Vol Protectorate *Gelix *Commonwealth of Patavig *Free Batarian Republic of Erszbat *Urdnot Empire *Democratic Conclave of Rannoch *Raloi Dynasty *Akunari City States of Rendor *Brichi Senate *United Tribes of the Ithurion People *Royal Kingdom of Kettuah *Numerous others. Appearances *Mass Effect: Chronicles of a Silent Galaxy Category:Governments Category:Political Category:Organizations Category:COSG Category:Chronicles of a Silent Galaxy Category:WolfOfTheEast Category:Articles by WolfOfTheEast Category:Citadel Category:Citadel Council